» Clean Water Current Archive

August 20, 2010

NACWA President Establishes Money Matters Affordability Task Force

NACWA President, Jeff Theerman, Executive Director of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, Mo., took action recently to form a Money Matters Affordability Task Force .  The Task Force will be chaired by George Hawkins, General Manager of DC Water, and bring together a diverse array of committed Member Agency representatives.  The new Task Force will oversee, and provide strategic guidance to, NACWA’s regulatory, legislative, and legal efforts as the Association works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Congress, and key stakeholders such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, to develop a new approach to Clean Water Act (CWA) affordability.  Such an approach must maximize municipal flexibility to address CWA requirements through a system that trusts municipal innovation – and public agency expertise – to get the most water quality benefit out of each rate-payer dollar spent.  The Task Force was carefully assembled to ensure the participation of key committee leaders, as well as participants from across the country.  The first meeting of the Task Force will take place after Labor Day and will help ensure that NACWA is poised with the appropriate tools and resources to bring its message on CWA affordability to the forefront as part of the upcoming Congressional election season and beyond.  For more information on this effort please contact Adam Krantz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202.833.4651.

NACWA to Meet with EPA Deputy Administrator on Priority Issues

U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe reached out to NACWA this week following the Association’s July 7 letter responding his request for input on the future of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program – and the role of the federal government in clean water funding and financing more broadly.  Members of NACWA’s Executive Committee have been invited to meet with the Deputy Administrator in October to re-emphasize some of the key points raised in the July 7 letter.

NACWA’s letter noted that despite federal deficits, now is not the time to consider reducing or zeroing out funding for the CWSRF.  Rather, the Administration should re-imagine how to make the most of the CWSRF and become an engine for innovative financing – while also revising its approach to affordability to get the most out of every available dollar.  The letter argues that, given the focus on the federal deficit, now is the time for the Administration to weigh in on behalf of a deficit-neutral clean water trust fund, and adds that “while more money is a vital part of the solution, so too is ensuring the equitable distribution of any federal funding that becomes available, as well as a new approach to Clean Water Act affordability.  This means any new funding should, on an equitable basis:

1. Help urban and rural systems alike;
   
2. Promote green and gray projects based on site-specific priorities;
   
3. Account for a new, more flexible approach to affordability and to determining financial capability constraints;
   
4. Incentivize new technologies and market-based approaches such as trading while also accounting for the impacts of climate change;
   
5. Advance continuous asset management improvement;
   
6. Take a watershed approach and focus on advancing water quality goals for the Nation’s waterways with a focus on our great water bodies.”
   

The meeting comes at a critical juncture, as discussion in Congress continues regarding how to reduce the burgeoning budget deficit, making it more difficult to protect the existing funding levels for the clean water program.  NACWA will continue to do its part to ensure maximum federal investment in Clean Water Act programs and will report to the membership regarding this meeting.

NACWA’s Nutrient Summit to Provide Key Strategic Input

The strong Member Agency and Affiliate interest in NACWA’s upcoming Nutrient Summit has confirmed its timeliness.  We can no longer accept requests to participate directly in the facilitated sessions; however, several seats remain available for those interested in attending as observers.  These remaining seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting Thea Graybill by Tuesday, August 24 at 202.533.1839 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

All attendees – participants and observers alike – will benefit from presentations by leading policymakers and stakeholders in the nutrient debate, including U.S. EPA’s Director of the Office of Science and Technology, Ephraim King; state regulatory officials such as, Marcia Willhite, Chief of Illinois EPA’s Bureau of Water; Mike Tate, Chief of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau’s Water- Technical Service Section; and Russ Rasmussen, Bureau Director of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Water and Watershed Management.  Environmental NGO and agriculture representatives will also provide their perspectives on the nutrient-related challenges facing the nation — information that will be invaluable to help frame the subsequent NACWA-member facilitated discussions.  NACWA’s Summit will be held in Chicago, Ill., on Thursday, September 16, starting at 8:00 am and will conclude at 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday, September 17.  Key findings and outcomes of the upcoming Summit will be shared with NACWA’s full membership.

September 8 Green Infrastructure Web Seminar to Explore Legal, Regulatory Issues

Registration is still available for the final installment of NACWA’s FLOW Series of web seminars, Green Infrastructure: What’s Legal.  The September 8 seminar will explore the legal and regulatory considerations involved when utilities pursue green infrastructure as a way to manage stormwater runoff and wet weather flows.  The legal and municipal perspectives offered during the seminar will help utilities better understand how to overcome some of the hurdles and impediments that can stand in the way of green infrastructure implementation.   Jennifer Abdella, an environmental attorney with NACWA Legal Affiliate Beveridge & Diamond, will be the featured speaker and will discuss how utilities can work more effectively with regulatory and enforcement officials to include green infrastructure in permits and/or as a component of enforcement negotiations – including what kinds of arguments utilities can make to maximize the use of green infrastructure.  She will also examine a number of legal issues, including how utilities can work with private landowners to address maintenance and liability issues when green infrastructure techniques are installed on private property.  Following Ms. Abdella’s presentation, NACWA member agency the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) of Greater Cincinnati will provide a practitioner perspective on the regulatory and legal issues surrounding green infrastructure – including how MSD Cincinnati is implementing its own green infrastructure plan and its role in the City’s ongoing renewal efforts.  We hope you will join your colleagues for this valuable seminar.  Registration information, as well as information on previous FLOW Series web seminars, is available on NACWA’s website.  Register today and engage key members of your staff for this informative event!

NACWA on YouTube

Look for the Association’s new video, NACWA…One Voice for Clean Water on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGZthc3Qk6U.